Back-to-School Security Audit: Essential Checks for a Secure Campus

Summary

• Back-to-school is a reset not just for students, but for campus safety and security teams responsible for protecting the campus community.
• Security teams must audit high-risk areas like parking lots and building access points to prevent crime and violent intrusions.
• Regular testing of cameras, emergency equipment, and response plans ensures reliability when emergency situations occur.
• LVT’s mobile surveillance units provide flexible, real-time coverage to secure blind spots, events, and evolving campus needs.

I’ve always loved the back-to-school season. It’s not just the promise of the quickly approaching ‘ber months and the pumpkin-flavored treats they bring with them. The beginning of the school year offers a clean slate; a new-binder-and-pencil-shaving-scented fresh start.

As a kid, my back to school checklist was something like: hunt down cute pencil grips, buy Aéropostale polos in every available color, and fill my backpack with gum (everyone knows giving out gum is the quickest way to make friends). As a college student, the checklist changed to: find the cheapest used textbooks, figure out which buildings I have classes in, and stockpile granola bars. 

The back-to-school checklist for campus security teams is a totally different ballgame. From facility walkthroughs and access control checks to camera testing and emergency protocol reviews, every task on their to-do list is crucial in ensuring students, staff, and visitors can return to campus with peace of mind. 

Here’s how to audit your campus safety systems to make sure students, staff, and visitors feel confident returning to campus.

Secure Remote Parking Lots

Parking lots are an unavoidable part of life for your campus community. Whether arriving for an early morning class or heading back to the car after a late study session, students and staff rely on them every day. Unfortunately, parking lots are also the third most common place for violent crime. FBI data shows that in the past year alone, 38,529 aggravated assaults have occurred in parking lots. And in 2022, there were more than 200,000 violent crimes in U.S. parking lots and garages. 

Poor lighting, low visibility, and their distance from main campus hubs make parking lots easy targets for theft and other incidents. To strengthen parking lot safety:

• Walk each lot at night to confirm lighting is adequate
• Test cameras for clear, high-quality footage and proper angles
• Incorporate license plate recognition where possible
• Deploy mobile surveillance units to ensure remote areas are covered

Control Building Access Points

While property crimes like burglary and theft are common on campuses, the most pressing concern tied to building access is preventing violent intrusions. Since the Columbine school shooting in 1999, there have been over 420 school shootings across the nation. In 2024 alone, there were 39 school shootings with injuries or deaths, with 8 students or children killed, 10 school employees or other adults killed, and 59 people injured. 

Preventing these tragedies has become one of the most urgent public safety priorities in our country. Securing building access points buys precious time in emergencies and reduces opportunities for unauthorized intruders. To ensure secure access points:  

• Test all locks, card readers, and biometric scanners
• Install cameras near all entry points so security teams can see who’s coming and going in real time
• Consider implementing a single-point entry system (like schools in Oskaloosa County are trying this year)

Test Camera Functionality

Security cameras can go a long way in deterring crime, and if a crime does occur, surveillance footage is often one of the most valuable tools for investigations. But a camera that’s offline, pointed in the wrong direction, or producing unusable (blurry, obstructed, or poorly lit) footage isn’t doing anyone any good.

To make sure your cameras are pulling their weight:

• Check that every camera is recording and storing footage properly
• Make sure pan-tilt-zoom cameras respond correctly to remote controls
• Enable mobile access to camera feeds so your team can view feeds in real time, from anywhere
• Consider investing in cameras that pair with AI-powered search tools—like LVT’s forensic search—that allow teams to quickly find the footage they need without scrubbing through hours of video
• Choose cameras equipped with infrared or low-light visibility so nighttime footage is usable

Inspect Emergency Equipment

Emergency situations might not be the norm, but they’re also not completely out of the ordinary in campus settings. On average, U.S. schools experience about 5,500 structure fires per year—resulting in roughly 125 injuries and up to 5 fatalities, with estimated losses totaling around $50 million. On top of that, during the 2021–22 school year, public schools reported approximately 857,500 violent incidents and 479,500 nonviolent incidents. When the unexpected happens, you need to know your emergency equipment will work.

To keep emergency equipment ready for action:

• Check expiration and battery status on AEDs and fire extinguishers
• Test alarms, strobes, and emergency lighting 
• Verify the functionality of blue-light phones
• Restock and verify placement of first-aid kits across campus
• Walk through evacuation routes to confirm they’re clear, well-marked, and easily accessible

Review and Practice Response Plans

Even the best security equipment can’t replace a well-prepared, on-the-same-page team. Your emergency response plan needs to be more than a dusty binder on a shelf—it should be top of mind, and protocols should feel like second nature. 

• Update campus emergency plans (and make sure they’re documented and accessible to all relevant parties) before the semester begins
• Refresh faculty and staff on lockdown, shelter-in-place, and evacuation procedures
• Run live drills throughout the year to ensure everyone is on the same page about protocols

Campus Safety and Security Starts with LVT

Every checklist item listed above feeds into one goal: protecting your campus community. The reality is, security teams can’t be everywhere at once. But LVT can. 

Our mobile surveillance units give security teams the flexibility they need to adapt in real time. Use them to secure remote parking lots that otherwise go overlooked, provide extra coverage for campus events like football games or concerts, or move them as your needs change throughout the year. 

Or if you need coverage in a tighter space, check out our other mounting options that include pole mounts and wall mounts. 

Learn more about our campus safety and security solutions here, or request a demo.